No sanction given for death sentence, Houthis handling nurse’s case: Yemen Embassy

No sanction given for death sentence, Houthis handling nurse’s case: Yemen Embassy

Sub: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

• The Embassy of Yemen in India has clarified that Rashad al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, has not approved the death sentence of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya.

Background of the Case:

• Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse, was sentenced to death in Yemen for the alleged murder of her business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2017.
• The Houthi militias, who control Sanaa, the area where Ms. Priya is detained, have been handling the entire case. The Yemeni government, under the internationally recognized leadership of Rashad al-Alimi, has stated that it has not ratified the death sentence.
• With competing political claims and a divided governance structure, resolving the case will require navigating the complexities of Yemen’s internal conflict.

Civil war in Yemen:

• The Yemen Civil War began in 2014 when the Houthi movement, a Zaidi Shia group from northern Yemen, seized the capital, Sana’a, and later ousted the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.
• In 2015, a Saudi-led coalition of mostly Sunni Arab states intervened militarily to restore Hadi’s government.
• The war has evolved into a complex conflict involving various factions, including the Houthi rebels, the Hadi government, southern separatists (STC).

Current Political Situation in Yemen:

• Houthi Militias (Ansar Allah): A Shia Muslim political and armed group that controls the capital, Sanaa, and about 50% of the country’s population. They are aligned with Iran and are one of the primary factions in the ongoing civil war.
• Internationally Recognized Government: Based in the southern and eastern parts of Yemen, this government is supported by Saudi Arabia and is internationally acknowledged as the legitimate authority.
• Southern Transitional Council (STC): Backed by the UAE, it controls parts of southern Yemen and is involved in the broader conflict.

Yemen Embassy in India:

• The Yemeni Embassy in India represents the Saudi-backed government of Yemen, not the Houthi militants. This is significant because the Houthi militia, which controls Sanaa, does not have any official representation in India.